Process of screening coal



Feb, 6, 1923.

R. G. LAWRY.

PROCESS OF SCREENING COAL.

a SHEETS-SHEET 1.

FILED MAR. 4, 1920.

Q S E Feb. 6, 1923.

R. G. LAWRY.

PROCESS OF SCREENING COAL.

3 SHEETS -SHEET 3- FlLED MAR. 4,1920.

Inveniaw R aymond Q. L awry flz' Patented Feteo 6, N23,.

orric RAYMGND G. irnwnr, DE CHICAGO, ILLENOIS, ASSEGNOB TO ROBERTS & SCHAEL EE GOMPANY, 'OFCHICA GO, ILLINOIS, A CDRPORATIOH 01? ILLINOIS.

raoonss or scnnnnrne cont.

Application filed March 4, 1928. Serialieio. $63,157.

To all "whom it may concm:

Be it known that I, RAY OND G. LAWRY,

a .citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in th'ecofifity of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Processes of Screening Coal, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to a method of, and

apparatus for handling coal and has for one object to provide an apparatus in which the impurities are removed "from the coal while the coal is being screened and separated according to size and then delivered according to'size into a divided weighing hopper 7 from which it then may be directly discharged into the railroad cars.

As the coal. comes from. the mine it is dumped directly into my apparatus and the processes of the removing of the impurities, screening and weighing'the coal are all carried out as parts of one operation; By this method I am able to weigh the coal without impurities and to accomplish the'screenin picking, and weighing in an exceeding y simple manner.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein,

Figure 1 is a vertical section of one part of my apparatus:

' Figure 2 is a vertical section of a connecting part of the apparatus:

Figure 3 is a plan view of a part of the screen with arts broken away:

Figure 4 1s a plan view of the Weighing hopper and the discharge end of the screen chute:

Figure 5 is a vertical section on the line 5--5 of Figure 2:

Figure 6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Figure, 5.

- Like parts are designated by like characters throughout A is a hopper into which the coal is dumped. It is provided with a discharge port, A through which the coal is deposited upon the open surface B of the reci rocating screen B. This screen is mounts upon rollers lB ---B and reciprocated by the mechanism B The upper screen B is rovided with holes of suitable dimension to allow the slack coal to pass through to the lower surface 0 of the screen. C throu h which the slack coal passes from the ievel to the lower level 0 B is an imperforate'space in the upper screen B extending over the port G Beyond this space B the screen B is perforated as at B These perforations are of such size as to allow the nut coal to pass through on to the level C. D is an incline joining the upper level of the screen B with the lower level C down which the lump coal will pass. D is a baflie plate situated upon the upper level and adapted to deflect the lump coal to the left. D is a baflle plate situated upon the level C and adapted to deflect the nut coal to the right. D is a partition on the level C and adapted to separate the lump and nut coal which after passin the incline D are upon the same level. E is the discharge end of the screen and is divided into the three dischar e openings, E on the level C and E and 3 on the level C F is a three part weighing hopper divided into the three compartments G, into which the discharge openin E is adaptedto discharge the nut coal, 1, into which the discharge opening E is adapted to discharge the lump coal, 1, into which the discharge opening E is adapted to discharge the slack coal. This hopper F is hung as'a unit from the frame F by means of the rods F 'F and by means of the rods J -J is connected with the weighing mechanism K by 'means of which the hopper load may be weighed as a unit.

Each of the hopper compartments is provided with a discharge opening, respectively G H and I. These openings are adapted to discharge the coal into railroad cars which are of course normally upon tracks below the hopper.'

J-J are swinging gates, one of which is Y positioned in the bottom of each of the subdivisions of the weighing hopper. In con- Struction and operation they are identical and I shall, therefore, describe but one.

The gate J is ivoted on the side wall of the hopper sub ivision as at J A lever arm K is pivoted on or near the bottom of the hopper subdivision and constitutes a U- shaped member extending about the bottom of the hopper. L is a rod mounted in the 1% member in as at U, Pivoted upon it are the is a port toggle arms M-M They are so pivoted upon the gate'J as at M -M On the side of the hopper are the stops N--N, against which the member K will normally rest. Mounted "on the'member K is the rod 0 to the lower end of which is adj ustably secured the weight 0 which is adapted to assist in closing the gate. To the upper end of this.

1 of course, the ordinary process of separating coal into classes according to its size by means of the screen. Where I have used the expression picking, 1 means, of courm, the

, processof removing the slate and matters of similar nature from the coal.

Although I have illustrated an operative device still many changes both in form. and size and shape of parts might be made without departing materially from the spirit of my invention, and I wish, therefore, that my drawings be taken as in a sense diagrammatic. a

The use and operation of my invention are as follows:

The mine car as it comes from the mine is dumped into the hopper above the screening machine. From this hopper the coal is deosited upon the open surface of an oscilating screen. Some of the coal, preferably the slack, will pass through the screen at this point and will be conveyed forward upon the lower level to the point where it is dumped into the slack division of the we ighing hopper. The rest of the coal is conveyed forward and passed upon a screen with larger perforations, and some of it, preferably the nut coal, is screened through and fed forward upon the lower level. Thus the coal has been divided according to size into three grades. After the coal has passed over the last perforated area, that on the upper surface, namely, the lump, is diverted to the left of the screen and down an incline. The nut coal is diverted to the right of the screen. Thus these two grades of coal are brought out upon the same level of the screen but they areseparated by the partition in the upper level of the screen at this point. L

The coal is then continuously fed forward and discharged into the proper subdivisions of the weighing hopper. During this screening operation and particularly during the latter part of it the coal is picked and impurities are removed from it before it is discharged into the weighing hopper.

When all of the coal from a given mine car has been picked, screened, and deposited It is to be understood of course, that the gates of the various subdivisions of the weighing hopper are normally adapted to be opened simultaneously in order that the hopper may be emptied as a unit. It'would of course, be possible to vary this arrangement, but it is generally preferable'to have it as above indicated.

I claim I 1. ,The process of treating a given quan-- tity of coal which consists in separating the coal into two or moreclasses then removing the impuritiesfroml the coal and weighing. the entire quantity of coal as a unit minus the impurities. 4

2. The process of treating a given quantity of coal whichconsists inseparating'the coal into two or more classes, conveying such separated'coal laterally from the point of operation, removing the impurities from the coal during such conveying movement and then weighing the entire remaining quantity of coal as a unit- 3. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in separating the coal into two or more streams according to size moving said streams laterally,'exposing two or more of such streams simultaneously for picking and subsequently associating all of said streams and weighing said coal as a unit.

4c. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in separating the opal into two or more streams according, to size, moving said streams laterally exposing two or more of such streams simultaneously on the same level for picking and subsequently associating all of said streams and weighing said coal as a unit.

5. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in dividing it into a plurality of streamscertain of which streams contain substantially all of the impurities in said coal and certain of which are substantially free from impurities, then moving all of said streams laterally exposting the streams which contain impurities simultaneously for picking subsequently associating all of said streams and weighing the entire amount of said picked coal as a unit. I

6. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists'in dividing it into a plurality of streams certain of which streams contain substantially all of the im- 1 purities in said coal and certain of which are substantially free from impurities, then moving all of said streams laterally exposing the streams which contain impurities simultaneously on the same level for picka ,plurality "of. streamsficertain of. which streams-contain substantially all of the imipiirities'in said coal and certain of which are substantially free from impurities, con;

veying all of said streams laterally diverting the stream which is substantially free 'froin'impur'ities below the streams thatcontain the impurities, exposing said last mentioned streams simultaneously for picking,

subsequently associating all streams and weighing said picked coal as a unit.

8. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in separating the coal into two or more classes then removing the impurities from the coal and weighing:

the entire quantity of coal as a unit, minus the impurities while .holding the separate classes of coal distinct from each other.

9. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in separating the coal into two or more classes, conveying such separated coal laterally from the point of operation, removing the impurities from the coal during such conveying movement and then weighing the entire remaining quantity of coal as a unit while holding the i separate classes of coal distinct from each other.

10. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in separating the coal into two or more streams according to size moving said streams laterally exposing two or more of such streams simultaneously for picking and subsequently associating all of said streams and weighing said coal as a unit while holding the separate classes of coal distinct from each other. V a

11. The process of treating a given' quantity of coal which consists in dividing it into a plurality of streams certain of which streams contain substantially all of. the impurities in said coal and certainof which are substantially free from impurities, then moving all of said streams laterally exposing the streams which contain impurities simultaneously for picking, subsequentl sociating all of said streams and weig ng the entire amountof said picked. coal as a unit while holding the separate classes of coal distinct from each other.

12. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in dividing it into a plurality of streams certain of which streams contain substantially all of the impuritiesin said coal and certain'of which are substantially free from impurities, conveyiiigall of said streams laterally diverting the stream which is substantially free from impurities below the streams that contain the impurities, exposing said last mentioned streams simultaneously for picking, subsequently associating all streams and weighing said picked coal as a unit while holding the separate classes of coal distinct fromyeach other.

13. The rocess of treating a given quantity 'of coa which consists in dividing it into a plurality of streams certain of which streams contain substantially all of the impurities in said coal and certain of which are substantially free from impurities, conveying all of said streams laterally diverting the stream which is substantially. free from impurities below the streams that contain the impurities, exposing said last mentioned streams simultaneously on the same level for picking, subsequently associating all streams and weighing said picked coal as a unit while holding the separate classes of coal distinct from each other.

14. A coal handling apparatus including a forwardly feeding screen means adapted to deposit unseparated coal on one end of said screen, said screen adapted to separate said coal into a plurality of laterally moving streams and means for weighing said streams simultaneously, and adapted-to divert two of said streams above a third stream and means for. weighing said streams simultaneously.

15. The process of treating a given quantity of coal which consists in separating the coal into two or more classes, conveyin such separated coal laterally from the point of operation, removing the impurities from the coal during such conveying movement and then weighing the entire remaining'quantity of coal as a unit while holding the separate classes of coal distinct from each other.

Signedv at Chicago, county of Cook and iagggeof Illinois, this 17th day of February RAYMOND e. newer. 

